Breathe Again
by Ziomy
Summary: A self proclaimed terminal bachelor & vampire hater, Paul has a dream & an encounter with someone who will not only change his views on life, but love as well. Will he be able to see past his prejudice & self pride in order to find true love & happiness?
1. Encounter

**Paul's POV**

I woke up from the strangest dream.

I was alone in the woods surrounding La Push. I was afraid.

Yes, I said I was afraid.

I was terrified and lost amongst the trees I grew up in. I was confused in a place that was both familiar yet at the same time completely foreign to me.

It wasn't until I heard her voice that I begun to find my way. I was searching for her, for the source of the melodic, almost siren like musical humming that seemed so close, yet no matter how many steps I took in the direction of her cadence she was always just as far.

…and just when I thought I would find her behind that final tree I found myself safely out of the woods and in front of the house that I call home.

I sighed both a sigh of relief and of frustration. For although I was no longer afraid of being lost in the woods I now had a new fear – that I would never again hear her voice calling out to me.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

The alarm on my cell phone went off and it was the annoying buzzing that came along with it that woke me from my dream…or was it a nightmare?

Either way I was shaken by my weird sleep state. Not only was it crappy enough that I was a twenty three year old werewolf living alone without a girlfriend, but now I had Siren woman in my dreams. Only, instead of leading me to danger, I was led to safety.

Whatever.

I pulled the covers back after silencing my phone and dragged my feet to the shower. I turned it on letting the water warm up as I brushed my teeth. When I looked up into the mirror once I was done it was completely fogged up. Good thing too, the last thing I needed to see was the dark circles I knew I had under my eyes from all the late night patrols Sam had me enduring.

I hate vampires.

Not only have they completely ruined my life by converting the very structure of my DNA turning me into a wolf whenever one is near, but now they were ruining my personal life…or creating a lake thereof.

I stripped down and jumped in the shower letting the steamy hot water run over me. I was hot, naturally, both internally and externally, if you know what I mean, but instead of enjoying warm or cool showers like I knew the rest of the pack did, I loved the hot.

I closed my eyes as the water cascaded through my hair and I thought back on the voice.

It was sweet and innocent and somehow a bit worry sounding. But…it was just a dream. I am a terminal bachelor. Woman love me yet hate me all at once and it will always be that way.

15 minutes later I was dressed in my jeans and black t-shirt pouring orange juice into a glass and put it up to my mouth about to take a much desired drink when there was a pounding at my door.

So, I did what any guy in my position would do. I ignored it and chugged down my OJ. I took a seat and poured myself another glass and enjoyed being me.

Again the pounding at my door resumed. Rolling my eyes I got to my feet and swung the door open grabbing little Seth Clearwater by the front of his shirt pulling him inside and slamming the door behind him.

"There better be a damn good reason for you to be trying to knock down my front door at eight o'clock in the morning."

"Th-there's a girl in the woods…she's not breathing. I need your help. You're the closest one around."

I let him go immediately and he ran out the door. I followed him, running at full speed. I would have phased to get to her faster but what good would I be to her without opposable thumbs?

It took us five minutes of intense running before we got to her.

She was a small and innocent looking, but clearly in her early twenties. Her long brown hair spilled across the snow and her porcelain skin was beginning to turn blue.

I knelt down beside her and put my head against her chest. Her breathing was faint. I picked her up in my arms and it was then, with the stirring of the air around us that I caught a horribly familiar scent.

Vampires.

"Seth." I hissed but he was already tense in pursuit of the scent.

"I smell it too." He said in answer to my tone. "Get her out of here, I'll keep searching."

"No you won't. You're coming back with me. We need to get her warm."

He starred at me, clearly wanting to argue, but in the end he nodded.

I held the girl close to me trying to give her as much as my body heat as I could. The run back home seemed to take an eternity as I pondered a million different things all at once.

Who was this girl and how did she get so unlucky as to be in the middle of the woods? How did she almost freeze to death and why in the world were there vampires on Quileute land?

I was both seething in anger and panic stricken for the girl that I felt my stomach churn.

Finally we had arrived at the house and I ordered Seth to grab all of the blankets off of the bed as I laid her down on my couch and threw the throw over her.

Seth came in not two seconds later and tucked the covers around her. We both took a step back in silence.

"Uh…don't you think we should take her to the hospital?" whispered Seth.

"We can't."

I could see him out of the corner of my eye starring at me in confusion. I crossed my arms and looked him full in the face.

"You don't smell that?"

"Smell what?"

"Seth, she's turning. She's been bitten. What we need to be doing is calling the Cullen doctor."

He snapped his head to look at her more closely.

"Well, what the heck are we doing keeping her in your house? She needs to go."

He took two steps toward her, but I blocked him.

"Don't touch her. She is still technically human. We protect her for the time being. Meanwhile, why don't you go get Sam? The Cullen should be made aware that there is a newborn in the area…and that someone has violated the treaty and if we find out that it was a Cullen, there will be serious ramifications. If it was someone else…then we have to pick up our patrols."

Again, it looked like he wanted to argue, but decided against it and flew out the door. Not two minutes later I heard a howling that I knew was Seth calling for the pack to unite.

Just then she stirred.

She mumbled something I couldn't make out. I got closer to her and knelt at her side. I could smell the venom in her spreading and my stomach churned. How could someone do this to someone so beautiful?

I would rip the cold dead heart out of chest of the leech who did this to her.

She turned on her side facing me and her hand slipped from underneath the covers. I took it in mine feeling the cold shock that came from the dead hands of a vampire.

She took in a sharp breath and opened her eyes in shock and pain, sitting up suddenly. I flew back taken off guard.

"Edward!" She whispered fiercely before closing her eyes and falling back on the pillow.

Scrambling to my knees again, I got close to her. Her eyes were closed shut and it was a wonder she wasn't writhing in pain.

I took her hand in mine and she held it with more strength than I thought her capable of.

"You're not alone." I whispered. "I won't leave your side."

Again she mumbled something. I got closer to her, close enough that if this were an entirely different situation I could have kissed her.

She opened her eyes letting two tears stream down the side of her face. Her big brown eyes stared back at me, almost pleading me to help her.

"What did you say?" I whispered

"Kill…Edward."

And with that she closed her eyes and her breathing slowed along with her heartbeat until it stopped completely.

I had no idea who this girl was, but I felt a loss so great she might as well have been family. I felt an ache deep within my chest as I choked out a sob.

I brought her ice cold hand to my mouth and kissed it gently.

Kill Edward…I will.


	2. Angel of Death

**Paul's POV**

I cradled her in my arms.

Anyone else would have thought I was a mad man to be holding a new born vampire in my arms like a lost love one, but since when did I give a damn what anyone else thought about me?

Sure, I was a little terrified that she would try to rip my head off when she woke up, but I had a feeling that wouldn't happen for another day or so. For now I was so damn stunned that I couldn't bring myself to walk away from her.

This poor girl had a family somewhere out there who cared for her and would miss her. They would most likely never know what happened to her and so, they would think their beautiful young angel of a daughter died or went missing and would never receive the satisfaction or closure they would be granted by burring her. They would never know.

…and soon, neither would I.

Who is this girl, or who was she? She is now a lifeless corpse in my arms who in a few short hours would be turned into a killing machine. She would be a killer and my own worst enemy. I never felt sympathy for a bloodsucker before, but then, I never actually saw one transform. I never saw the horror of someone recently attacked and allowed to have the venom run through them.

Could I, if the time came, kill her if she threatened an innocent life? Is she not herself an innocent life who was turned without her consent? Did she ask for this life? No, I would imagine not. This…Edward…he was the cause of her demise.

No, I wouldn't be able to harm the perfection I held in my arms, but I would not be able to know her – ever. The moment the Cullen comes for her she would be dead to me. I would hate her; loathe her for who she now is. Just because she didn't choose this lifestyle it doesn't change the fact that she is a monster – an enemy, and in the end, the cause for my condition, if that's what you want to call it.

My self pity and the pity I was feeling for her was cut short by the opening of my front door.

Sam, quickly followed by Jacob, Quil, Embry, Jared, Seth and Leah walked in with a purpose.

"Put her down and step away from her, Paul." Said Sam with a little edge in his voice which I recognized to be fear poorly disguised by his attempt to boss people around.

I held her closer.

"I know you want to protect her, but she is not human anymore. Our job here is done. It is time for us to hand her over to the Cullen's before she wakes up."

"You should listen to him, Paul" Piped up Jake.

"And who asked for your opinion? You didn't see what happened."

"Neither did you." Chimed in Seth.

I narrowed my eyes at him and he took a step back.

Yeah, the little runt better be scared.

Jacob walked over to me and held out his arms.

"Give her to me. Stand up and walk away from her body. I will take her to the Cullen's."

Was he being serious? He couldn't think that I would just say 'Okay' and hand her over.

I looked around the room at all the eyes staring at me like I had lost my mind. Perhaps I have, but shit, this girl just died and they want to toss her to a bunch of bloodsuckers? Well, she IS one now.

"I'll take her." I said.

"I'm faster."

"I don't give a crap Jake, I'll take her."

"Fine, but Jacob is going with you." Ordered Sam in his Alpha voice. Well, his attempt at an Alpha voice that he sometimes took on in his still human form. That crap doesn't work on us when he's not a wolf, but we all got the hint. It was an order you didn't ignore.

"Whatever." I said as I got up with her still in my arms. I walked out the door and I could hear Jacob right on my heels.

"They are waiting for you by the treaty line. Hurry." Called out Sam.

My pace was slower than it was before. It was a mixture of being reluctant to hand her over to the enemy and of her being heavier. It was like she suddenly gained fifty pounds.

"Did she tell you her name?" I didn't answer Jacob.

_No, you moron, she didn't tell me her name. When would she have told me? While she was in pain transforming or while she was so terrified that she screamed out a name I had never heard before._

"What has gotten into you, Paul? Why are you acting so weird? What is it about this girl that has you so shaken up?"

And that was it. I couldn't take it anymore. I turned to face him.

"Look at her!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. "Just look at her!"

He took a step back clearly surprised by my outburst. He hesitated for a second before standing directly in front of me gazing down at the dead angel.

He moved back the hair that was covering her face and gasped.

"Do you know her?" I asked - the desperation clear as day in my voice.

"No, but she's beautiful."

I rolled my eyes and turned to walk towards the treaty line when I suddenly felt her move.

"Crap."

"What?" asked Jacob.

"She's stirring. We need to hurry."

We picked up the pace and were about a mile out from meeting with the Cullen's when I heard her cry. I stopped and looked down to see her eyes open starring straight at me. My mind stuttered. At that moment I had no idea what to do. I froze.

"Paul?" hissed Jacob through his teeth. "Let her go."

I didn't respond to him. My eyes were transfixed with hers. They weren't the same brown eyes from before. They were crimson red and clearly hungry – yet strangely still held their beauty.

"Who are you?" – her voice. I knew that voice.

"I-I'm Paul."

She put her hand on my cheek and looked at me like she was trying to remember me from somewhere.

"You're so warm."

I smiled. She seemed so…normal.

"Paul." Came Jake's voice again. "Drop her and run."

I looked up staring at him incredulously. Was he for real? I wasn't just going to leave her here.

"You should listen to him."

I look down and arched my eyebrow at her, but, before I could respond, her hand shot out and gripped my neck. I couldn't breathe.

She hopped out of my arms to her feet with her hand never leaving my throat.

"Where were you taking me?" she asked Jacob.

"The Cullen's. Let him go."

"The Cullen's? Are you barking mad? They were the ones who did this to me!"

I couldn't hear the rest of the conversation. It was all just a bunch of background noise as I stared seeing stars in my eyes and the edges of my peripheral vision started going black.

She was an angel alright, the angel of death.

Somewhere in the back of my mind or possibly my sub consciousness I heard a loud ripping. I wondered if Jacob had phased. I couldn't even care. I couldn't feel anything…except those hard-as-stone, cold hands around my neck.

I somehow always knew a woman would ultimately be the death of me.

What a way to go.


	3. Stupid, Stupid, Stupid

**Bella's POV**

All I felt was pain, but it was a distant pain. It was like I could feel something happening to someone else. I couldn't focus on it. Not that I wanted to, but even if I did his face would not allow it. Again and again his face swirled in my mind. Who was this guy and how can I be laying on the ground on the snow about to die and see a face so vividly in my mind of a person I have never even met.

I guess they had it all wrong when they talked about the light at the end of a tunnel, although his face was so magnificent that it could quite possibly be an angel. That must be it. I was looking at an angel. Yes.

Time seemed to drag on for days, yet at the same time, felt like it wasn't moving at all. I was stuck in a timeless place, I suppose. I was cold and yet the burning pain was relentless. How could Edward have done this to me? Everything was going so well! He seemed like an everyday kind of guy. I saw him at school, crushed on him and he paid attention to me out of everyone else.

People at school said that this just didn't happen. Edward stayed with his family of equally good looking brothers and sisters and never spoke to another soul at the school unless he was answering a question for the teachers, so I was lucky right? I mean c'mon!

WRONG!

My fate was sealed the moment Edward laid eyes on me. He was on a mission. He knew what he was going to do all along that selfish prick. He wooed me, had me enamored beyond belief and just as I thought I was falling in love with this glorious Cullen his true colors come to light.

He picks me up for a date. A stroll through the forest he says. Romantic, is what I think. Everything is the same as always. The sexual tension in the car is almost tangible. He holds my hands and I stopped wondering long ago why they were so darn cold. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

He pulls over on the side of the road, opens my car door, takes my hand and helps me out. He gives me his jacket to keep me even warmer and holds me close to him as he leads me to my death. He stops after a while and turns me around trailing fiery kisses along my neck and my brain stops working. And then out of nowhere I hear this guttural noise. I step back and see his eyes boring into mine, but not seductively like they should have been – nope – they were filled with pure evil and traces of animalistic lust.

I took another step back, feeling a warning call out to me from the pit of my stomach. Run, it told me but my feet were glued to the snowy ground.

"You smell so delicious, Bella."

Huh? I thought. What the hell is he talking about?

"I tried holding back, but I just have to have you."

And of course I thought he was going to have his way with me sexually…if only I knew.

"Stay back. You're freaking me out Edward. Please, just stop it."

He grinned at me, the same lopsided grin that used to make me weak at the knees, but now it was different, it was scary as hell.

"Oh, Bella. I think I'll have a taste of you and then…and then I'll keep you. After all, we really do make a good couple. I love you, but you blood…it's like a drug to me."

My _what?_

That was enough to make my feet unglue themselves from the ground. I sprinted in the opposite direction, but before I made it anymore than ten yards he appeared almost out of nowhere directly in front of me.

How the hell?

So I ran the other way. Same thing happened.

What the hell was he?

He laughed and grabbed me by the shoulders with more force than was really necessary considering that his hands were like stone grips.

"Ouch, Edward! You're hurting me. Let go!"

And then a softness appeared in his eyes. The real Edward came back and he let me go.

"I'm SO sorry, Bella. I…I don't know what came over me."

The tears that I impressively had been able to hold back up until now spilled over and I ran again. I ran and I ran and I ran.

The cold air burned my lungs and my cheeks but I couldn't stop. I had to get as far away from him as possible, but it didn't work. Just when I thought that I had gotten away, after maybe an hour more of stumbling through the forest running I felt those cold hands on my back and I was thrown face down. I tried to turn around and smack him away, but everything happened so fast I couldn't figure up which way was up or down.

I felt teeth sink into my shoulder and faster than I thought possible the blood was being sucked out. I was dying. I was being killed by a vampire.

The world went black and then it set on fire, but not before the angels face appeared helping me along. I smiled. I didn't want to die alone and I preferred him over no one.

The blackness enveloped me and I was out.

I dreamt of the Angel. He was lost and needed a help out of the scary woods. I tried to talk to him, but I sang to him instead. That was the language of angels, wasn't it? And then the blackness came over me once again.

The pain nearly died away. I felt almost…comfortable. Then I felt a warm hand hold mine and it shocked me awake and then hand fell away.

"Edward!" No, don't touch me! I wanted to say but the words just wouldn't come.

The hand held mine again, but it was too warm. It wasn't Edward's. He was always cold as ice. I gripped the hand tighter holding on for dear life.

"You're not alone." I heard a voice whisper. "I won't leave your side."

And I knew he meant it. I knew this man; this wonderful man wouldn't let anything bad happen to me.

"Kill Edward." I mumbled.

I opened my eyes and wasn't shocked to see my angel sitting on the floor in front of me. I was a little taken off guard that I was in a house, but it didn't matter. My angel was here, nothing bad would happen.

"What did you say?" he whispered, almost too afraid to speak too loudly.

I felt the pain come back, this time it was full force. He was too late. I was already dying. I choked out my last words, the most important words I would ever say.

"Kill…Edward."

And then I was out again.

I know that some time had passed and strangely enough I was starving. No, that wasn't right. I was _thirsty_. Yeah, that was it. My throat was on fire. I needed something to drink right now and oddly enough this is what brought me back to life.

I opened my eyes crying out and was surprised to see my angel again. He _had_ saved me.

"Who are you?"

"I-I'm Paul." Could this Paul be real? I had to know. I put my hand on his cheek. Yes. He _was_ real.

"You're so warm." I said not caring if he thought I was weird or not. And then the _smell_ hit me like a Mack truck speeding straight into a brick wall.

My mind, although not completely understand, spit out a warning in neon red letters in my mind: ENEMY!

I heard someone else tell him to let me go.

"You should listen to him." I growled, grabbed him by the throat and jumped out of his arms. My surroundings almost threw me off guard. Everything was strangely amplified. I found that I _knew_ things I shouldn't know…like the deer that was 2.32 miles away from where I stood and the smell of wet dog was almost over powering. I turned around to see where it came from and was taken aback by the beautiful man standing in front of me with his arms up, directing me to stay back. Again the sense of ENEMY came back.

"Where were you taking me?" I yelled out.

"The Cullen's. Let him go." He said without skipping a beat. Ah, a brave one.

"The Cullen's? Are you barking mad? They were the ones who did this to me!"

Hell no! I wasn't going to go back there to those monsters! No freaking way!

"The Cullen's did this to you?" he said incredulously.

"Who else? It was Edward, Edward Cullen!"

"Ok. You don't have to go back, but you need to let Paul go. You're killing him."

"And why shouldn't I? He was going to take me back to a murdering vampire! Oh no! Am I…?" but I couldn't finish the sentence. I couldn't believe it. Now I was the monster. I looked over at Paul who was still in my hands and was about to let go when I heard a loud ripping sound followed by a growl. I threw Paul against the tree only to see a wolf the size of a horse hurling itself at me. I caught it in midair but the force of it flying at me knocked me back. We rolled over on the ground. My first instinct was: KILL. I smacked the wolf and I heard it whimper.

"I don't know where you went, Brave One, but you better run before this wolf gets you."

The wolf froze in my hands and looked up at me. I stared it straight in the eyes and recognition hit me. I let him go. I was on the floor and I scuttled backwards until I felt a tree at my back.

I covered my eyes.

"Go ahead. Kill me. I don't want to be a monster. I don't want to be surrounded by fairy tales. Please, werewolf, just kill me."

I tried to cry. I wanted to cry, but I was deprived of my tears. I heard the growling come closer and I knew death was just a stone's throw away. I welcomed it. And just as the angry growl came so close I could feel the hot breath on my face I heard it whimper and cry out in pain. I opened my eyes in time to see an equally large wolf, a gray one, throw the russet colored one halfway across the way.

Then the wolf was not longer a wolf, but a man. A very naked man.

He ran up to me and touched my face. I didn't understand why he was so close. I almost just killed him.

"Are you okay?"

Again I buried my face in my hands, but he quickly took them away.

"I know you're scared, but I promised I wouldn't leave your side."

I don't know what came over me, but I flung my arms around his neck. I didn't expect him to hug me back, but he did. He gently rubbed my back and held me close to him.

After a few moments like this I backed away again.

He smiled. He wasn't afraid of me. I was even afraid of me, but he obviously didn't care.

"Don't leave, okay, I'll be right back." I began to protest, but he begged me not to with his eyes. He stood up and I closed my eyes. He was _very_ exposed.

2 minutes and 28 seconds later he came back. I opened my eyes and he had a pair of jeans on and a white t-shirt. He knelt in front of me again.

"Now, we have a lot to talk about, but first, why don't we start with your name?"

I looked at him wondering if I should tell him the truth. Then again, he hasn't given me a reason not to trust him even after he was mere seconds away from death at my hands. The visual proof was starting to show around his neck as it bruised over. He noticed me staring and put a hand over his neck.

"Oh, don't worry about that. It will go away in a couple hours."

I don't know what he meant, but I wasn't sure that asking any questions just now was such a good idea. I'm not sure I wanted to know the answers.

He kept looking at me and I remembered his question.

"Bella. My name is Bella."

He smiled such a beautiful smile it almost took my breath away, only I realized just then that I hadn't been breathing. Great.

"Bella. What a perfect name."

I smiled back at him; the first time since I tried to kill him. The warning signs kept flashing in my mind, but I ignored them. This man wouldn't hurt me. This much I did know.


End file.
